Tuesday, August 4, 2009

We're happy to bring you today a new tip on our weekly series of green printing tips, where we bring you in collaboration with Greg Barber, an experienced eco-friendly printer.

Today Greg is answering a question we received from one of our readers. We believe this is a question shared by many businesses and organizations that are looking for a green printer: how to identify one and how to compare between two or more printers with "green" practices.

What to look for when selecting a “green” print vendor?Tip #9

Here are the questions you should ask:

1. Is the printer FSC certified? That will narrow your search. It takes a lot to be certified.

2. Does the printer stock Environmental paper, and if yes, what grades?If the house stock includes 100% post-consumer waste recycled, that isa strong indication of being environmental.

3. Does the printer use Soy Based or Vegetable Based Inks?

4. Does the printer use 100% non toxic toner for digital?

5. Ask the printer to show you jobs where the FSC emblem was added.

6. Ask the printer iF they are Carbon Neutral. Ask them if they know what that means.

7. Ask the printer if they are Green E certified. That certifies the plants use Wind, Solaror BioGas energy.

If you are not sure of their answers, please consider sending them to me. I am happy to help you pick the right environmental printer for your next job.

If you have any further questions following our tips, or you have a specific question you want us to address, please email us to info@ecolibris.net.

Unanimously endorsed at the annual general meeting of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada (GDC) held from 24-25 April 2009 in Winnipeg, the working definition states:

Sustainable communication design is the application of sustainability principles to communication design practice. Practitioners consider the full life cycle of products and services, and commit to strategies, processes and materials that value environmental, cultural, social and economic responsibility.

The definition is supported by a statement of values and principles to guide the GDC and its members’ actions. If you go over these principles, you see the full commitment of the Canadian designers to change. I'm especially happy to see that they refer to all major aspects of their work - environmental, social, economic and cultural. I believe that this comprehensive approach is the key to succeed when developing a sustainable strategy and therefore I think the GDC is in the right direction.

I hope the GDC will follow its promise to "collaborating with other design organizations worldwide to promote and develop best practices for sustainable communications design", so this great initiative won't be limited only to Canada, but will inspire graphic designers worldwide to commit to sustainability.

I also hope the U.S. will be next. Actually there's a good chance for the adoption of these principles here if your think of the fact that, as we reported last month, the graphic arts trade association - Printing Industries of America is providing now its members with a new tool for those who wants to go green: The Green Guide for Graphic Communications.If they already encourage their members to go green, wouldn't it be only natural to go one step forward and encourage members to adopt a comprehensive sustainable practices?

ebooks vs. paper books:

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Founded in 2007, Eco-Libris is a green company working to green up the book industry in the digital age by promoting the adoption of green practices in the book industry, balancing out books by planting trees, and helping to make e-reading greener.

To achieve these goals Eco-Libris is working with book readers, publishers, authors, bookstores and others in the book industry worldwide. So far Eco-Libris balanced out over 179,500 books, which results in more than 200,000 new trees planted with its planting partners in developing countries.